Even Better
by SevereObsession
Summary: Remus Lupin has to prove that he's better than Severus Snape ... if only in the matters of romance.


Disclaimer: We don't own anything but ourselves.  
  
Even Better  
  
  
  
Remus Lupin stood over his desk, staring dejectedly at the papers that were strewn across it. He hated marking, always had. It didn't matter how many years he taught, he'd still hate marking papers. To him, it didn't matter what the students could write on a parchment, but what they could do when faced with something real.  
  
With a sigh, Lupin forced himself to take a seat at the desk and took out his quill and ink, preparing to mark the first boring essay on how to catch a pixie.   
  
"Name," he muttered, reading 'Ashley' across the top. "At least that part's easy to mark." His eyes scanned the essay quickly, then stopped at the last line written on the page. He blinked a few times and stared hard, wondering if he had gone insane or half-blind or possibly both.  
  
Written at the bottom in dark ink was the sentence, "In closing, Defense Against the Dark Arts is my favourite class because there's no better way spend an hour than watching Professor Lupin."  
  
"What?" he murmured, still staring at the page. He flipped through the rest of the essays and was relieved to see that none of the others ended with such a blantantly suggestive statement. Except, of couse, the last one in the pile began with something similar.  
  
"Professor Lupin is amazing," the essay started, "and I wouldn't give up my place in his class for anything."  
  
His eyes scanned the paper for a name and he found one near the top. "Leah," he murmured. "Ashley and Leah." He couldn't recall either of those names in any of his classes and in the end, decided that the essays were nothing more than some Slytherin's attempt at a joke. He balled up both parchments and threw them away, then set to work on the other papers.  
  
But before he got through even five essays, there was a knock on his door. With a half-exasperated, half-relieved sigh, he looked up. "Enter."  
  
The door slowly opened and two girls he couldn't remember ever seeing before stepped into the room. "Professor Lupin?" one asked. Both were tall, skinny blondes, but still fairly different in their own rights. By their ties, he saw that one was Slytherin, the other Ravenclaw.  
  
"Can I help you ladies?"  
  
The girl who had spoken leaned casually against the wall, examining her fingernails, which were painted a very Slytherin green. "We were wondering if you'd graded our papers yet."  
  
He frowned. "I'll return them in class, the way I usually do. Sorry."  
  
The girl's shoulders fell. "Oh. I was just wondering if you liked mine or not." She sniffled softly. "I just spent a lot of time on it, you know... but... whatever. I'll just go."  
  
He grimaced. He hated making people upset, particularly girls. "No please, don't go. What are your names... I'll see if I've graded them yet or not."  
  
He glanced down at the pile of papers, missing the decidedly wicked grin that passed between the two girls. "I'm Ashley," said the Slytherin. "And that's Leah."  
  
Lupin paused, his hands fell still and he looked up at them. "I'm sorry?"  
  
Leah stepped forward. "I'm Leah," she said. "And that's Ashley. Have you marked our papers yet?"  
  
Lupin's eyes immediately went to the floor where the crumpled papers lie. Leah's eyes widened and she walked over to them, then spread them flat on a desk.  
  
"He threw them out!" she exclaimed, staring at her own essay. "And here I thought the line about him being amazing would definitely get me extra marks."  
  
Ashley stepped forward, staring at her own, crumpled essay. "I worked so hard on coming up with the perfect compliment." She sighed pitifully. "I can't believe he'd just throw them away."  
  
Lupin's mouth worked, but he couldn't find the words to come out. Eventually, he managed to push out, "I'm so sorry!"  
  
Leah glanced at him, studying him carefully. She pouted slightly, then picked up her essay and walked toward his desk. "Why would you throw them out?" she asked.  
  
"I thought they were meant as a joke," he said. "With the comments about my class and . . . me."  
  
"I would never joke about something like that," Ashley said from where she stood.   
  
"Something like what?" Lupin asked, already fearing the answer.  
  
Ashley grinned. "Like you."  
  
"Me?" was the only thing Lupin managed to say this time before Leah came around his desk and perched on the edge, holding her essay in her hand.  
  
Leah nodded enthusiastically, reaching out to touch her index finger to the center of his chest. "You." She smiled. "And she's right. She wouldn't joke about you."  
  
Lupin managed to avert his gaze from Leah to Ashley, who was now leaning over his desk, her elbows propped up on the surface and her head resting in her hands. "So... what did you think of the essay?" She twirled a strand of blonde hair around her finger, waiting for him to find the ability to speak again.  
  
"It was... good." The last word came out slightly squeaky, and he cleared his throat, looking down once more at the papers in front of him. He moved his quill to mark something, but Ashley's hand closed over his.  
  
She climbed on top of his desk, kneeling in front of him, her skirt rising almost dangerously up her leg. "You don't need to do that now." She pulled the quill away from him and touched it to his forehead, tracing his features lightly before touching it to her own face. She ran the feathered end over her lips, blowing softly so that the feathers quivered. Lupin stared at her. He was certain that he would have rememebered having *this* girl in class... but for some reason, he didn't. Maybe he was having memory problems.  
  
Leah grinned at the expression on Lupin's face as Ashley tossed the quill aside. He looked both lost in the situation and completely amazed that it was happening to him.  
  
"I really should be marking these," he said almost pleadingly, unable to tear his eyes away from Ashley. "I need to hand them back today in class and-"  
  
"Oh, be quiet," Leah demanded, edging along the desk so that she was sitting in front of him. She felt Ashley nudge her from behind, but grinned and remained where she was. Lupin pushed his chair back slightly and moved to get up, but Leah's foot was pressed against his chest in an instant, keeping him pinned to the chair.  
  
"Great Merlin," he breathed, his eyes turning toward the ceiling rather than down the leg that was extended in front of him.   
  
"What's wrong?" she asked. "We just need you to listen to us."  
  
Lupin nodded, still staring at the ceiling. What had he done to get himself into this situation? It wasn't that he didn't appreciate the attention, of course, but if someone walked in his life at Hogwarts would be over.  
  
"I'm listening," he said.  
  
Leah grinned and dropped her foot. "Good. Now all we want are our marks. We worked so hard on those essays and we really want to know how we did."  
  
"I told you," Lupin said. "You did good."  
  
"How good?" Ashley asked.  
  
Lupin swallowed hard. "Very good. A's for both of you."  
  
Leah pouted. "I want an A plus. What will it take to get an A plus in this class, Professor? Will you tell us that?"  
  
He chanced a glance at her, amazed. "What?"  
  
Ashley scooted down beside Leah, her long legs dangling over the edge. "It might take a bit of work to get an A plus, don't you think, Leah?"  
  
Her friend grinned. "I do."  
  
He started to back away. "No, I don't think..." But he was cut off as both girls hooked the legs of his chair with their feet and drug him back over.  
  
Ashley propped her legs up on his lap. "I really don't know what the problem is, Professor. We're just doing our share to earn our grades."  
  
"But-"  
  
Leah shushed him with a finger to his lips. She glanced side-long at the other girl. "Ashley..." she whispered, "his lips are really soft."  
  
She raised an eyebrow. "Really?" She eased herself down onto Lupin's lap. He balked, frantically trying to get himself out of a very compromising situation. But Ashley was most insistent. She held his head with both her hands. "I just want to see something... then I'll go. Alright?"  
  
He looked suspiciously at her. "Okay, as long as..."  
  
Before he could finish, Ashley bent her head and pressed her lips to his slightly open ones. They didn't shut once she kissed him- in fact, his jaw dropped even more.  
  
She moved her hand slightly to close his mouth as she kissed him, softly yet firmly, her fingers stroking softly through his blonde hair.  
  
Lupin's stomach lurched. He'd really done it now. But Merlin, the girl could kiss. Just as he started to kiss her back, she abruptly stopped and hopped off his lap, straightening her skirt.   
  
"Alright," she announced. "I promised I'd go, so bye!"  
  
Lupin made a slightly strangled noise and Leah rolled her eyes.  
  
"This always happens. Ashley hops onto his lap and they stare at her like I'm not even here," she growled in exasperation. "What do I have to do to get some respect in these stories?" She paused when Lupin glanced at her sharply. "I mean at this school."  
  
Lupin made another noise in his throat, very similar to the first as he watched Ashley walk away. Leah sighed again, then brushed back her hair and stood in front of him.  
  
"Hello? Hi. Over here. Yes, that's right. Me. The other one. Am I not cute?" she asked, twirling. "What's wrong with me?"  
  
Lupin's eyes travelled over her body and he mentally kicked himself. It didn't matter what she looked like, he was not supposed to study a student like that.  
  
Leah sighed, then leaned forward with her hands against his chest. "If I ask to 'just see something' will you let me crawl into your lap as well?"  
  
Lupin stared at her, then jumped up and shook his head. "No, both of you have to go. I should never have let Ashley do that and now you have to leave."  
  
Leah pouted, her fingers walking up Lupin's chest to the clasp on his robe. With a flick of her index finger it unhooked and fell off his shoulders, puddling on the floor behind him.  
  
Leah grinned. "Whoops."  
  
Lupin stared at her, then bent down to pick up his robe. He heard the girls both snickering and flushed very red when he realized what they had to be studying. He straightened and turned his backside away from them, much to their disappointment.  
  
"Oh come on!" Leah exclaimed. "If you're not going to let us have our regular fun, at least give us something to look at!"  
  
Lupin's jaw dropped. He clutched the robe to him, much like a security blanket of sorts. "Regular fun? You do this often?"  
  
Ashley waved her hand dismissively. "All the time. I don't see what your problem is. Sevvie seemed to enjoy us very much."  
  
"Sev... Severus?" His eyes widened further at the very idea of Snape snogging with anyone, much less two very pretty young girls. The idea was ridiculous to him.  
  
Leah walked up to him and placed a hand on his chest. "Now will you just sit down and relax?"  
  
He dropped into the chair, still holding the cloak tightly. Ashley came up beside Leah and took it from his grasp. "You won't be needing that, dear."  
  
"Oh, Merlin..."  
  
Ashley raised an eyebrow. "That's not quite the name I wanted to hear leave your lips, but whatever."  
  
Leah snickered, then composed herself. "Now, how about that crawling into your lap thing. It worked so very well for Ashley." She glared at her friend, who merely shrugged and seated herself on the edge of Lupin's desk.  
  
"Have at him," she said, gesturing to the professor, who was now nearly shaking as he regarded the two girls.  
  
Leah grinned slyly and put one knee up on the chair, her skirt inching upward. Lupin closed his eyes and leaned back.  
  
"Oh Merlin, tell me this isn't happening," he begged.  
  
Leah's other knee went on the other side of him, then he felt her settle down on his legs and with her mouth near his ear, she murmured, "Oh, it's happening."  
  
Trying desperately to ignore the girl on his lap, Lupin clutched the arms of the chair tightly and kept his eyes squeezed shut. If he pretended she wasn't there then maybe she would go away, maybe she'd just leave, maybe she would . . . bite his earlobe?  
  
Lupin's eyes flew open and he stared at Leah, who was now grinning innocently at him. Her hands snaked up his chest to wrap around his neck and she pulled herself closer to him. Lupin trembled beneath her and her smile grew wider.  
  
"We won't hurt you," she promised, then pressed her lips to his. He responded more quickly this time, then cursed himself for doing so. He heard Ashley snicker from behind Leah as she pressed closer, her fingers toying with the hair at the back of his neck. She kissed him feverently, her lips warm and soft and he couldn't help but kiss her back. He wanted to get himself out of the situation, but the kiss just felt so good. He wanted nothing more than to stand up and place the girl on her feet and send them both on their way, but Leah's fingers sliding down his neck to toy with the top button of his shirt made all those thoughts leave his mind. All he could see and hear was the girl on his lap and her warm hands sliding into his now open shirt.  
  
Ashley cleared her throat loudly behind Leah. The girl on his lap glanced annoyedly over her shoulder. "Yes?"  
  
"When I said 'have at him,' I didn't mean quite... that."  
  
"Oh really?" As she spoke, Leah's fingers were still sliding delicately over his warm skin and he let out a soft sigh.  
  
Ashley's hands came to her hips. "Really."  
  
"Fine." Leah placed a kiss the the middle of his exposed chest and climbed from his lap. "Then show me what you meant."  
  
Ashley lowered herself onto the professor's lap, straddling him in a very unladylike manner. Lupin opened one eye to regard her. He had already experienced some of what she could do... he wasn't sure if he could stand much more, especially after Leah.   
  
Her lips dropped softly to his collarbone and she nibbled lightly at the skin, breathing hot air onto him. He shivered, his hand almost subconsciously moving from their deathgrip on the arms of the chair to her slender waist.  
  
She slowly worked her way up his neck, tracing his jugular vein with the tip of her tongue and paying lavish attention to his earlobe.  
  
Her hands, meanwhile, were busily undoing the remaining buttons on his shirt, opening the material to reveal his firm stomach. Her fingernails playfully scraped over his smooth skin, teasing him mercilessly.  
  
He had forgotten entirely by this time that the two girls undressing him were students. He kissed Ashley back greedily, biting her lower lip and pulling her fearfully close.  
  
Lupin's breath caught in his throat as he realized that Leah's hands were on him as well, her fingers dancing lightly over his shoulders. As he continued kissing Ashley, he rolled his shoulders slightly as her nails pressed into his skin, followed by her mouth. She pressed hot kisses across his shoulders, then turned her attention to his throat and ear. Her tongue slid lightly along his jaw line, tracing the skin up to his ear and nuzzled against him. Her breath was hot against the back of his ear and without realizing, Lupin's hand went up to her neck, trying to bring her around in front. Leah followed his movement, nudging Ashley out of the way gently and tossing her a grin.  
  
"Sorry, the man calls for a scene change," she said, snickering. Ashley stuck out her tongue, but backed off slightly.  
  
Lupin pulled Leah close to him, his hands clinging desperately to her waist and his mouth searching for hers. She met his lips in a burning kiss, gently biting his lower lip before running her tongue along it. Lupin groaned into her mouth, pulling her closer still and tangling one of his hands in her hair. He kissed her deeply, cupping her face as her hands explored his chest and stomach.   
  
He broke the kiss a second later, breathing heavily and he stared at the two girls.  
  
"Just one question. Why Snape? When you could get anyone in the world, why him?"  
  
Ashley raised an eyebrow. "Why the hell not? He's very good at kissing."  
  
"Yeah," Leah chimed in, "and doing other things."  
  
Lupin shuddered. "You know, I really don't want to know about that... it's kind of... ruining the mood, you might say."  
  
Ashley shrugged. "You brought it up. If you didn't want to know, don't ask."  
  
"Good point." He attempted to banish the haunting thought that he was kissing two girls who had already kissed Severus, and focused instead on Leah, who was nibbling once again on his earlobe.   
  
Ashley scooted up on the desk again, moving aside his papers and quill and planting one foot on either side of him. The position provided him with the opportunity for a view up her skirt, one that he avoided and instead looked up at her. If he didn't know better, he would have thought that she would have been the more innocent of the Slytherins.  
  
She crooked her index finger at him, bidding him to come closer. He rose from his chair and stood between her legs, his hands encircling her waist. He kissed her briefly before pulling away. "Just... answer me one thing... am I better than Severus?"  
  
She rolled her eyes. "Will you drop it already?"  
  
"Fine..." He bent to kiss her, and her legs came around to hook at the ankles behind his back. He kissed her deeply, desperate to prove that he was certainly better than Snape in matters of romance. His hands explored her body, caressing her sides and running up and down her exposed leg.   
  
She moaned breathily into his mouth, her hands playing up the expanse of his back.  
  
"I don't know," Leah murmured from behind. "Snape paid a lot more attention to me than you are. Maybe if you're too busy, I'll just take a trip down to the dungeons and visit him."  
  
She had barely taken two steps when Lupin's hands were on her waist. He picked her up and turned toward the desk, planting her beside Ashley. Leah barely had the chance to smile at her friend before Lupin's hands on the clasp of her robes, pulling at it quickly and pushing the thick material off her shoulders. His mouth was on hers against and his hands were everywhere, running down her back and toying with the hem of her skirt, tangling in her hair and pulling her closer.  
  
Leah could barely keep up with Lupin's frantic movement and she cracked an eye open to see Ashley grinning at them both.   
  
With both hands pressed against his chest, Leah brought his speed down slightly, turning the kiss into something far more gentle and passionate. He seemed to understand her unspoken order and his hands stopped moving, one resting carefully on her knee and the other on the back of her neck.   
  
Leah smiled under his lips, then trailed both her hands down his naked chest to his belt. She hooked her fingers in the belt loops and eased him closer to her until he was leaning down on the desk.   
  
Ashley casually shrugged off her robe, letting it fall to the floor beside the desk. With a characteristic raise of her eyebrow, she regarded the two beside her. It was obvious that Lupin was on the very edge of his restraint. She would simply... push him a bit further.  
  
She reached for him, letting her slim fingers dance burning trails over his skin, tracing the area along his waistline and playfully peeking underneath for briefly tantalizing moments. He shuddered visibly, breaking away momentarily from Leah to let out a distracted groan. The sound brought a smug smile to her lips and she bent over the professor, letting her lips and teeth graze his jawline and nip at his sensitive earlopes.  
  
His eyes closed tightly as he relished in the sensation. "Don't make me pull the same Severus trick she does, Remmie," she whispered, her breath hot and tickling.  
  
With a low growl, he was pressed against her in seconds, lowering her back onto the desk, his hands pulling at her sweater as his mouth claimed hers.  
  
She could have sworne that her heart skipped a beat. She wrapped her legs around his waist again, pulling them even closer together as he fervently kissed her.  
  
"Don't... say... that... name..." he managed to get out between kisses.  
  
"What?" she gasped, grinning wickedly. "Severus?"  
  
He bit at her lip, pulling deliciously and possessively and gave a throaty growl. He pressed firmly against her, crushing their bodies together, until she was quite sure she wouldn't have the breath to say any name whatsoever for quite a while.  
  
Leah relaxed lazily on the desk and muttered, "Severus," under her breath. Lupin growled from beside her, but apparently it wasn't enough to distract him from the girl he had pressed into the desktop. With a sigh, Leah sat up and hopped off the desk, walking around Lupin slowly and making appreciative noises in her throat.  
  
"What?" he finally managed to ask before Ashley grabbed him once again.  
  
"Nice view," Leah murmured, cocking her head to blatantly stare. "But personally, I prefer the front."  
  
With a quick movement, Leah grabbed Lupin's wrist and pulled him away from Ashley. He came willingly, almost fiercely even as Ashley pouted on the desk.   
  
Leah wasn't ready for the force with which he pushed her against the wall, but she didn't seem to mind as her mouth found his immediately. Even as he pushed against her, his chest heaving, he stopped the kiss and stared at her intently.  
  
"I want you to tell me that I'm better than Severus," he said softly.  
  
Leah's eyes widened and she opened her mouth to say something, but Lupin grabbed her wrists and pinned her to the wall. "Only say it if you mean it," he said, then kissed her again, his tongue darting out to taste her mouth.  
  
His hands explored her body, running down her arms to her waist and across her stomach, his fingers trailing hotly over her sweater. Leah moved to pull him closer, then broke the kiss and said, "You're better than Severus."  
  
Lupin grinned, then bent his head to kiss her again before pushing away from the wall and closing in on Ashley.  
  
She crossed her legs primly, running a hand through her mussed hair as he neared her. "Something you want, Remus dear?"  
  
His hand dropped to her knee, grasping it firmly yet gently. His fingers stroked her skin as he uncrossed her legs and stepped between them. "Tell me that I'm better."  
  
Her eyes widened childishly. "Better than who? You really must specify, dear, there are several."  
  
He frowned, leaning down to take possession of her mouth. "You know who."  
  
She stood, using both hand to press him against the wall. Hooking a leg around his hip, she kissed him back. "We're supposed to be seducing you, remember?"  
  
His hands trailed up her back to tangle in her hair. "Must have slipped my mind." With that he caught her beneath the knee of her other leg and wrapped it around his waist as well. Then he turned quickly so that she was pressed against the wall. "Say it," he groaned, lavishing hot kisses on her neck.  
  
She gasped, clinging to him and running a hand through his short blonde hair. He pressed his lips into her throat, his voice vibrating against her skin. "Tell me I'm better than him."  
  
She captured his chin in her hand, bringing his eyes to meet hers. "Merlin, yes," she breathed, kissing him passionately.  
  
"Gods," he moaned, "What I wouldn't give to have you two alone..."  
  
"We are alone," Leah said, still leaning against the wall.  
  
Lupin glanced at her, breathing heavily. "Alone," he repeated, setting Ashley down carefully and moving toward Leah again. "Completely alone. Just the two of us," he said, pressing his mouth against her throat.   
  
Leah's eyes fluttered shut and she supported herself on the wall, suddenly very frightened that her legs were going to give out at any moment. Lupin's tongue traced light patterns over the hollow of her throat, then danced upward to trace her jawline. Gods, she hadn't lied. He *was* better.  
  
"We should set up a meeting," he said, still speaking in that low tone that sent vibrations over her skin and shivers down her spine. "A detention, perhaps."  
  
Leah grinned slightly. "Now he's sounding dirty."  
  
Lupin silenced her instantly with his lips, crushing his mouth against hers. Leah hitched in a deep breath and wrapped her arms around him, pulling him close again. He lifted her up slightly and her legs locked around his hips, before he pushed her back against the wall.   
Ashley came around behind him, pressing against his back and running her fingers up his sides. "And what about me, hmm? You wouldn't leave me all alone, would you?" Her lips caressed his smooth skin, leaving a hot trail of kisses wherever she could reach. "I get very... lonely."  
  
He glanced at her, reaching back to grasp her arm and pull her beside Leah against the wall. His hands still explored Leah's body, but his lips found Ashley's, ravishing her mouth. "Of course not... how could I forget you?"  
  
She shrugged, pulling him closer so that he was pressed against her. "Some people tend to do so."  
  
His arms wrapped hungrily around her waist, picking her up and setting her down again on the desk. "They must be insane." He climbed up on top of her, straddling her body and running his hands almost frantically over her body. "Merlin..." he breathed against her lips. "Will you... come back?"  
  
Before she could answer, or for that matter find the breath to answer, there was a knock on the door. Lupin glanced up, startled, but Ashley grabbed his head and pulled him down to continue their intense kiss. The door opened a second later to reveal none other than Severus Snape, carrying a goblet of wolfsbane.  
  
"I hope I am not disturb..." he trailed off at the scene in front of him.  
  
A blonde girl was standing against the wall, looking quite ready to collapse, while Remus was straddling another on his desk. "Great Merlin!" he exclaimed, nearly dropping the goblet. And suddenly, the girls seemed quite familiar... "Wait a minute..."  
  
Ashley glanced behind her and grinned. "Hey Sevvie, miss us?" She slid out from underneath a shocked Lupin.  
  
Leah grabbed her by the arm and rug her towards the door. "That's our cue to scram, Ashley."  
  
They paused at the door and Ashley's smile widened. "We'll do lunch sometime, boys." And then they were gone, running and giggling down the hallway.  
  
Both men stared after them for a few moments before their gazes met each others.  
  
"Severus... I can explain..."  
  
Snape held up a hand, shaking his head vigorously. "No, Lupin. Don't say a word. In fact, never speak of this again. Ever."  
  
Lupin picked up the two girls' essays and slid them into a drawer in his desk. "Agreed."  
  
But who needed to speak of it when he had the assurance that he was better than Severus? That in itself was more than enough for him.  
  
  
End 


End file.
